Out of sight
by ola
Summary: legolas meets a strange girl with a sad secret. mmm, i'm bad at summaries. please read and tell me what you think. a sad story.


_~Out of sight~_

_By Ola_

~*~*~

            The tall trees were swaying in alight wind, their leaves whispering secrets to each other. Above the canopy, long, wispy white clouds chased away bigger, grayer ones. The air was warm and almost too humid for a spring day, heralding the hot summer, soon to come. And among the large tree trunks, on a pile of old golden leaves sat a girl, dwarfed by the immensity of nature surrounding her. Her black hair was cropped short, just above her ears. She wore a pale yellow T-shirt and dark green shorts, while a pair of brown sandals lay neatly beside a large knotty tree root. The girl's eyes were closed, and she was breathing deeply. Her face was relaxed, and a small smile played on her lips, as if she knew something no one else did. A little secret of her own, that she could only share with the breeze. She stayed there for a long time, her back against a smooth trunk, her long legs crossed in front of her. Suddenly, she tensed, and her eyelids flew open to reveal large green eyes, flecked with blue. She turned her head to the side, again hearing the faintest but unmistakable noise of light footsteps on the forest's floor.

"Who's there?" her voice was strained. No one answered, but the noise stopped, as if whoever has been walking had suddenly stopped. The girl again repeated her question, louder, moving her head from side to side as if trying to locate the source of noise. Finally, the sound resumed, nearing toward her, to halt a few feet away.

"Hello," said a clear, masculine voice. "I'm sorry; I didn't know there was anyone here."

"Hello, who are you? I've never seen you here before," said the girl, her legs now drawn up, her eyes looking at something above his head.

"I'm…Legolas." The girl did not show whether she caught the slight pause before the young man gave his name, nor whether she recognized him. "I am not from this place. I have traveled far and this is the first time that I come here," he continued.

"To see the trees?" the girl laughed softly.

"Actually yes. They are beautiful in this region, especially the blooming acacias," said Legolas, happiness in his voice.

"Oh, are they?" the girl whispered, looking down, her voice full of sadness and resignation. Legolas frowned for a moment before settling down beside the girl with another faint rustle of leaves. A moment of silence passed before Legolas asked something that has been on his mind since he had met this strange girl.

"How did you know I was here? I mean, I wasn't exactly shouting and wildly running around."

"Well, I heard you of course!" she said as if it was obvious. "I'm blind. I can't see." Her tone was calm, but regret was still in her voice.

"E…excuse me?"

"I can't see! I don't know what you look like, I don't know if thee are clouds in the sky, I don't know how the trees look…" she broke off, staring at the floor in front of her, her lips quivering a tiny bit.

Legolas didn't know what to say. Not be able to see? He hadn't known that it was possible. All elves had excellent vision. He knew that humans were more limited, and some more than others. But completely blind? God! How awful!

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." A small, sad smile crept on the girl's face.

"It's okay, you couldn't have known...What do acacias look like?" she asked after a while, turning her head toward him. Only now did he notice the dull luster in her eyes, and the way they never focused on anything…forever searching, forever lost in darkness. Eyes the same color as his.

"They are beautiful," he began softly, his voice like tinkling bells. "Their flowers are white, in little clumps. And when the trees bloom, it seems as if snow has fallen on their fragile branches. They also smell very nice. Sweet and ephemeral."

"Can you see any from here?"

"Yes, there are a few of them to the right, a few hundred feet off."

"Could…could you lead me there please?" she asked, almost as if fearing he would say no.

"Of course!" 

She stood up, and he took her hand, carefully guiding her over rocks and large roots, making sure she did not stumble. Once there, the girl inhaled deeply, memorizing the smell of acacia, the only way she would ever be able to recognize that tree again. She reached out and her hand brushed a soft, velvety petal. She lightly ran her fingers along the edge of the flowers but did not pluck them from the stem. She stood there for a while, looking at the small white tree with empty eyes, trying to imagine what it would look like. A single small tear rolled down her cheek, and she turned her back to the lonely acacia.

"Can we go back please?" she whispered.

Legolas nodded and said yes, taking her small body into his arms and carrying her back to the pile of old leaves. The girl now sobbed silently into his shoulder, and he tried to comfort her any way he could, just by being there, caressing her hair, like the little girl he never had. It broke his heart that this young girl could never see the crimson sun sinking on a far away horizon, the beauty of a forest in autumn, clad in bright colors, or the peaceful meadows covered in a blanket of pure white snow. Why was the world so cruel? Why could he see as far as the eagle could fly while she was permanently enshrouded in darkness? Couldn't he give her a part of his sight? Twin tears slid down his pale cheeks and his eyes blurred, making everything look fuzzy, unsure. He blinked and closed his eyes, trying to imagine what it felt like not to see. After a while, the girl had stopped crying, and they both stayed silent, with their eyes closed, listening to the wind rustling through the leaves. Only upon hearing the girl's chocked gasp did Legolas's eyes fly wide open. She was starring at him with her mouth open in a little "o" of surprise. Finally, she whispered:

"I can see you…"

Then her head slowly turned toward the acacias, and for the first time, reality and imagination became one. Reality won. She could never have imagined such a sight as she beheld on that morning spring. Legolas too watched the snowy tree, and his brows drew together for a moment. Somehow, it did not look right. Not as sharp, not as focused as it should. Then he understood, and a melancholic smile appeared on his fair face. But he did not regret this moment. Silently, only like an elf could, he stood up and left, turning back once to look at the girl, still marveling at the new world surrounding her. And then, he disappeared forever, out of sight.

~*~*~

~The End~                               

disclaimer- the beautiful Legolas belongs to Mr. Tolkien.

A/N- I hope you liked this story. If you have any question, please review, and I will answer you. Also, please review anyway to tell me what you think. It would mean a lot to me. 

I am in the process of writing another Legolas story. AGAIN! J lol. But it will be less sad and much more funny. (I hope)

Anyway, he's my favorite elf! And I saw the movie twice! Lol. So happy! Too bad I will never get to meet him in person. L oh well, I can always dream! J

~Ola~


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